In the book of Ezra, the older generation wept at the sight of the newly laid temple foundation because they remembered what they'd lost. Meanwhile, the younger generation shouted for joy because they had nothing to compare it to. Both groups had one thing in common: their joy was built on what they could see and measure. And joy like that is fragile.

In this sermon from the second week of a congregational building campaign, Pastor Karl Grant draws a line from that ancient scene to the very real anxieties we face today of stretched budgets, uncertain markets, and the weight of being asked to give sacrificially.

But Jesus makes a staggering promise in John 16: "No one will take your joy from you." This is a decree grounded in the fact that Jesus walked out of a borrowed tomb and will never die again.

And so the sermon asks a pointed question: when you think about your finances, your future, or your church's building project, is your joy anchored in the resurrection? Or are you putting your hopes in something far less durable?

------------------------

At St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Gibbon, Minnesota, God has gathered a congregation where all ages are present, from newborns to grandparents. We are united in Christ through the historic liturgy. Children are a visible and joyful part of our life together, with active Sunday School and youth ministries woven into the fabric of our community. Here, every generation receives the saving benefits of Christ through His Word and Sacraments. Whether you’re listening nearby or far away, you’re welcome to join us in person or online.

Visit us: 63924 240th St, Gibbon, MN 55335 | (507) 834-6676 | splcgibbon.org

Join us Sundays:

• September–May
  • 8:30am Sunday School | 9am Bible Study | 10am Worship
• June–August
  • 9am Worship

#GibbonMN #LutheranChurchMN #LCMSWorship

Every pastor, every teacher, every Director of Christian Education—they're all transitory. So what holds a congregation together when staff changes, ministries shift, and uncertainty creeps in? As St. Peter's kicks off its Heritage of Proclaiming His Power campaign, this sermon looks at Jesus' Good Shepherd discourse in John 10 to answer that question with three characteristics of the Shepherd's mighty power.

First, His love is fierce enough to put Himself between His sheep and the wolf (something no hired hand will ultimately do).

Second, His knowledge of each believer is personal, modeled on the intimate communion shared within the Trinity itself.

And third, His sacrifice on the cross was entirely voluntary. It was a mission He executed with divine authority, laying down His life and taking it back up again.

The sermon closes with a direct, pastoral challenge: if this is what your Shepherd is like, what does that mean for how you give, how you trust, and how you live as part of His church right now?

------------------------

At St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Gibbon, Minnesota, God has gathered a congregation where all ages are present, from newborns to grandparents. We are united in Christ through the historic liturgy. Children are a visible and joyful part of our life together, with active Sunday School and youth ministries woven into the fabric of our community. Here, every generation receives the saving benefits of Christ through His Word and Sacraments. Whether you’re listening nearby or far away, you’re welcome to join us in person or online.

Visit us: 63924 240th St, Gibbon, MN 55335 | (507) 834-6676 | splcgibbon.org

Join us Sundays:

• September–May
  • 8:30am Sunday School | 9am Bible Study | 10am Worship
• June–August
  • 9am Worship

#GibbonMN #LutheranChurchMN #LCMSWorship

Thomas got to see and touch the risen Jesus. His response was the boldest confession of faith in the Gospels: "My Lord and my God." But then Jesus says something unexpected: those who believe without seeing are even more blessed. So how does that work? How do people who never walked into that upper room get the same thing Thomas got?

There are three answers, and none of them are vague or spiritual-feeling.

1. The breath Jesus breathed on His disciples is the same creative breath from Genesis and Ezekiel, still breathing forgiveness through the church's ministry of absolution.
2. The blood and water from Jesus' pierced side are the same blood and water given in communion and baptism.
3. The body and blood Thomas touched are the same body and blood placed in our hands every Sunday at the Lord's Table.

Jesus says it plainly: receiving Him by faith through these ordinary things is a greater blessing than seeing Him with your own eyes, because only the power of God can make that happen in you.

------------------------

At St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Gibbon, Minnesota, God has gathered a congregation where all ages are present, from newborns to grandparents. We are united in Christ through the historic liturgy. Children are a visible and joyful part of our life together, with active Sunday School and youth ministries woven into the fabric of our community. Here, every generation receives the saving benefits of Christ through His Word and Sacraments. Whether you’re listening nearby or far away, you’re welcome to join us in person or online.

Visit us: 63924 240th St, Gibbon, MN 55335 | (507) 834-6676 | splcgibbon.org

Join us Sundays:

• September–May
  • 8:30am Sunday School | 9am Bible Study | 10am Worship
• June–August
  • 9am Worship

#GibbonMN #LutheranChurchMN #LCMSWorship